The following is a brief Family History of the Coffman's, as described in a booklet made by a committee of Ruth Perdiue, Mrs Ellen Sommerville and Mr Merrill Coffman, decendants of David and Susannah Kauffman in 1957

The name Kauffman is German and means a "trader" or "merchant". It is likely that the first bearers of the name belonged to the merchant or trade guilds. The name is spelled many ways, depending on the locality of the individuals. In America, in the communities where English predominated, the ususual spellings are- Coffman, but in german communities Kauffman-Kofman-Kaufmann-Khoufman-Kofman-Caufman- Coughman. It is not unusual to find documents in which the clerk wrote it one way and the owner of the name signed it a different way.

In the days of Knighthood was in flower, steel armor shields and helmets concealed the indentity of friend or foe unless he displayed his embalozed coat of arms. There are 2 recorded in Berne, 2 in Basel, Switzerland and 1 each in Baden. Bavaria, Coire, Switzerland, Soleure,Wurtemberg, Germany and Winterthur, Canton (or country) of Zurich. One is recorded in the "Hall of the Chevaliers" in the Castle of Chillion. Perhaps this is the knight who took part in the Crusades.

Some of the early references about Kauffman are:
1303- Arnold Kofman- is recorded as living in Bienne in Haut Argonie
1363- Hans Kaufman appears in Berne, where he became a citizen in 1367, he is listed as a farmer
1377- Johannes Kauffman- a member of Berne Council
1379- Niclause Kaufman was cited for bravery.
1405- Hans Kaufman was a clerk in Berne and on the council of Berne in 1574-1582
1557- Kasper Khoffman was governor of Zilling.
1582- John Kaufmann was master of liberal arts in Burgen

The Middle ages were coming to a close and Gutenberg's invention of the printing press was the big factor in bringing the Bible to more communities and raised the fires of opposition.

From the "Martyer's Mirror", page 685, we find the 7 Mennonite Brethen and one sister were apprehended at Atwerp early 1569, because they were Christians. Among them was Jan Kaufman. They were tortured and eventually put to death. 3 were burned to death before Easter, one died and the remaining 3 were burned in May.

In 1613 a military muster roll was made in the vicinity of Thun and Jacob Kaufman presented himself armed with a spear. It is recorded that in 1654, the first settlement of Mennonites was made at Egwyl, Canton of Berne Switzerland, consisting of 40 families who had fled from persecution in Zurich. We find Kaufmann's in this group,also in a group in the Alpine area about Grindelwald, Iseltwald, also in Thun in the neighborhood of Steffisburg.

Persucutions continued to follow them in 1659 Matthaus Kaufman and Jacob G Gut (Good) together with other Mennonite teachers were imprisioned 18 months in the jail at Berne. Many were exiled from the country. This was toward the end of the 30 year war adn thousands were homeless. About this time William Penn was in Holland looking for people to settle his new colony in America and many sought asylum there and then began the great tide of emigration in America. The journal of American Genealogy says, " It is believed that the ancestrial home of the Swiss Mennonites who obtained land in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania was the Canton of Zurich in Switzerland." In the early 1600 they fled from Switzerland, to the German Palatinate ( the middle and upper Rhine Valley including Hesse, Baden and Wurtemberg.) General Anthony Wayne had a camp 12 miles from Lancaster in 1778 and several Kauffman's belonged to his army. From here the Kauffman's migrated to Shenendoah Valley in Virginia.

Susannah(Good) Kauffman, wife of David Kauffman, came to Indiana about 1830 with some of her family, and settled in Henry County Indiana. And still several of her decendants reside in this area today
The first Renunion of the Coffman and the Miller's was held, August 13, 1902, at Cummins Park, east of Daleville, Indiana. About 1:30 P.M. the meeting was called to order by Brother Snowbarger, there was a short talk by John Miller and others.

There was a paper prepared by Mrs. Elizabeth (Aunt Betsy) Lindamood, about the ancestors of all present to read to the group by her daughter, Mrs. Dora Miller- The contents of that paper are incorporated into the History of the Family along with one prepared by Elmo Wood in 1938.

The officer's elected for the following year were: For President: Mr John Miller, Indianapolis
For Secretary: Miss Laura Richman, Yorktown
For Treasurer: Mr. Enos Lindamood, Middletown

A committee appointed to arrange for the next reunion was as follows: Mr Cain Coffman, Yorktown
Mrs Dora Miller, Indianapolis
Mr Manuel Sanders, Honey Creek
The date chosen for the next reunion was the last Thursday in August 1903
There were about 120 present at the first reunion

At the 56th annual reunion in 1957, a motion was made and carried to publish a genealogy of the Coffman Family, dating back through the Miller's and the Goods. The committee appointed was Mrs. Ruth Perdiue, Mrs. Ellen Sommerville, and Mr Merrill Coffman.

The records show that the Annual Reunion's have been held at Cummin's Park; The Middletown Fairgrounds; Mounds Park,Anderson; McCullough Park and Heekin Park, Muncie; Memorial Park, New Castle and at various private homes during the 60 years of existance.